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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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The Battle oFGettjisbopg, 



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July 1st, 2d and 3rd, 1863, 5 § | 






ACCOMPANIED BY AN EXPLANATORY MAP. | o g 

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BY M. JACOBS, = o S 

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[SIXTH EDITION, REVISED] 



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GETTYSBURG NOVELTY WORKS, = ^ 

GETTYSBURG, PA. 



PUBLISHED BY 



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N^OTES 



THE TN^^^ASION 



MARYLAND^PENNSYLVANIA, 



THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG 

^ DEC 201888 

July 1st, 2d and 3rd, 1863, \ X. ^ 7 ''^. ^ 



^RVOFCO/v^ 




ACCOMPANIED BY AN EXPLANATORY MAP, 



BY M.^ JACOBS, 

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Late Professor of Mathematics and Chemistry in Penn'a College, Gettysburg, 



{SIXTH EDITION, REVISED] 



t-^ 



Copyrighted 1863 by J. B Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia, and 1888 by G. E. Jacobs, 
Gettysburg, Pa. 



J. I WlSLf, STEAM PR., SETTYSR 



STATEMENT. 



Twenty-five years having passed since these "Notes" 
were first pubhshed, the author's family deem it nothing else 
than due him to say that their chief value consists in the 
place and time when they were written. The author, as a 
very diligent botanist and mineralogist, having during the 
thirty-four years before the battle thoroughly explored with 
successive classes of students the entire country included in 
the field and its surroundings for miles, was thoroughly fa- 
miliar with all its topographical details. As an eye and ear 
witness of much that transpired, writing within a few weeks 
of the battle, the narrative must have so far a permanent 
value. Much of course is also included upon which he had 
to depend on the testimony of others, heard directly after 
the occurrences described ; and in this regard, his proximity 
to the scenes and time may render his accounts less valua- 
ble as an accurate portraiture of all details or even of the 
relative importance of movements in different portions of 
the field ; for these could be properly gleaned only by labor- 
ious research among official records, and by collecting and 
sifting the testimony of the varied experiences of the many 



4 STATEMENT. 

thousands of actors in this great drama. All this was 
beyond his purpose, as the title "Notes" indicates, the 
sketch here presented having been written during July and 
August, 1863, entirely for private transmission in his fam- 
ily, and afterwards at the solicitation of intimate friends 
having been committed to the press. The entire style and 
spirit of "Notes" is colored by the time and the scenes that 
had so recently transpired. This we believe will, enable the 
reader to enter into the experiences of those three days ofl 
fire and blood far more deeply than the more elaborate ac 
counts, (such as that of Comte de Paris), which, howeverii 
valuable to one who wishes to make the study of the field 
a specialty, bewilder with their minuteness of detail those 
who desire only to fix in their minds an outline of what! 
transpired, and to appreciate the battle as a living fact. For 
such readers this edition is offered, former editions, amount- j' 
ing to twenty thousand copies, having been exhausted. 



INTRODUCTION. 

The account of the battles at Gettysburg, prepared by 
Rev, Dr. Jacobs, Professor of Mathematics in Pennsylvania 
College, will take a place among historical documents of 
high permanent value. It is the record of an eye-witness, 
made, in large part,* while the scenes he describes were 
passing before him. The author is distinguished as an acute 
observer, as a man of clear judgment and of great conscien- 
tiousness, who is not only scrupulous as to the substance of 
his statements, but cautious in their tone and coloring His 
chronicle will be found a chronicle of facts. What he knows 
is carefully sifted from what he conjectures : of the former 
we have much, of the latter almost nothing. The sequence 
of parts, and the internal relations of the terrible struggle at 
Gettysburg are presented by Professor Jacobs with a fidel- 
ity and simplicity which render his narrative pre-eminent 
among the very many accounts of the battles which have 
been written. The chart, formed upon actual measure- 
ments, is of great value ; and it will be found that the his- 
torical notes, to which it is a companion, are marked like it 



6 INTRODUCTION. 

by that spirit of mathematical precision which is indispen- 
sable in military history. The pilgrims who, with this little 
volume in their hands shall visit the memorial fields whose 
undying story it tells, the thousands who eagerly read all \ 
that bears upon the grandest and most critical struggle of 
the most momentous war in the annals of our race, will 
gratefully feel, in common with the laborious searcher for 
truth, the rare and true student of history, that Professor 
Jacobs has rendered an invaluable service in his unpretend- 
ing and excellent work. 

Charles P. Krauth. 
Philadelphia, September 23rd, 1863. 



THE m¥ASION 

OF 

MARYLAND AMD PEMNSYLVAMIA. 



Shortly after the battle of Chancellorsville, which, al- 
though not a defeat of the Union army, nevertheless re- 
sulted, on account of several uncontrollable causes, in the 
necessary withdrawal of our forces to their former position 
on the left bank of the Rappahannock, General Lee, of the 
Rebel army, determined to invade the States of Maryland 
and Pennsylvania. He seems to have been induced to enter 
upon this perilous undertaking by several considerations. 
First, he felt the increasing deficiency of cavalry and artil- 
lery horses, and the means of subsisting his army in an al- 
most desolate territory from which he had hitherto drawn 
his supplies ; secondly, there was the alleged demoraliza- 
tion of Gen. Hooker's army after that battle ; thirdly, there 
was the evident fact of the depletion of the Union army, 
by the return to their homes of a number of regiments 
whose term of service had expired ; and fourthly, there 
was the apparent division of sentiment in the loyal States, 
in regard to the conduct and continuance of the war, and 
the strong undercurrent of sympathy manifested for the suc- 
cess of the rebellion, engendered by an intense partisan feel- 
ing and the desire of office. Of this division of sentiment 
he now determined to take advantage, for he hoped to find 



« THE INVASION OF 

US as incoherent as a rope of sand, and utterly unable to re- 
sist his progress as he swept over the land. And, unques- 
tionably, for some time it did appear as if his cherished 
hopes would be realized ; for, when he was about to cross 
the Potomac, evidently endeavoring to feel his way, such 
was the apparent apathy that prevailed amongst the peo- 
ple who were most in danger, that it was almost impossible 
to arouse them to realize their true situation, and to organ- 
ize in defence of their homes. 

So hopeful were the leaders of the rebellion in the success 
of this, their project, that they did not deem it necessary to 
keep their intentions a secret. Many weeks before their at- 
tempted invasion, their newspapers freely referred to it as 
an event that would surely happen and boasted loudly of 
the manner in which they would fatten on the spoils they 
would take from the rich farmers and well-filled storehouses 
of the North. 

At an early day, Lee began to arrange and perfect his 
plans, and to remodel and strengthen his army ; so that, 
when his preparations were completed, he found himself at 
the head of one of the best disciplined and most reliable 
armies the world ever saw. With this he hoped to sweep 
like a whirlwind, over the fairest portion of our noble State 

Unmistakable signs of the coming storm began to accum- 
ulate. lnform,ed that^an advance movement was about tc 
be made. General Hooker directed that a cavalry attach 
should be made by General Pleasanton against Genera 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. 9 

Stuart at Beverly Ford. This attack, which was made June 
9th, resulted advantageously to the Federal arms ; and es- 
pecially in the capture of Stuart's private papers, amongst 
which were found orders for an immediate advance into 
Pennsylvania. This was a fortunate event, since it enabled 
Hooker immediately to put his army in motion, so as to 
prevent Lee, who had already several days' start, from 
flanking him, and coming in between him and Washington 
or Baltimore. By hard marches, the Union army advanced 
so rapidly as always to be on the flanks of Lee, and to pre- 
vent him, eventually from carrying out his purposes. 

Forewarned of the approach of the invading army, the 
War Department, on the iith of June, assigned Major- 
General D. N. Couch to the Department of the Susque- 
hanna, with his headquarters at Harrisburg ; and Major- 
General W. T. H. Brooks to the Department of the Mo- 
nongahela, with his headquarters at Pittsburg. On the next 
day were issued a proclamation of Governor Curtin, and a 
call of General Couch, addressed to the people of Pennsyl- 
jvania, urging them to organize and to hasten to the defense 
'of the State, and, if possible, to drive back the invader be- 
fore he should touch our soil. 

On the 13th of June, the Rebels reached Winchester, 
Virginia, and gave battle to General Milroy, who occupied 
that post with 8,000 or 9,000 men. On that day the Reb- 
els were repulsed ; but on the next day they renewed the 
attack, in which they were feebly resisted by our forces. 



10 THE INVASION OF 

and which resulted in the hasty flight of Milroy and his 
whole command. He lost nearly all his ammunition and 
artillery, and a small portion of his men. He succeeded in 
taking several hundred with him to Harper's Ferry, and in 
running his baggage train, by Hagerstown and Chambers- 
burg, to Harrisburg. About 2,000 infantry stragglers and 
cavalry succeeded in breaking through, and effecting theiri 
escape to Bloody Run, Pennsylvania, where they were re 
organized and joined by recruits from the Pennsylvania 
militia. 

The Rebel cavalry, 1,600 in number, under the notorious 
General Jenkins, entered Hagerstown on the 15th of June,: 
at 10.30 A. M., in pursuit of Milroy 's wagon train, and, mov- 
ing onward rapidly, they reached Chambersburg at 10.3c'' 
p. M. Having thus far advanced into an enemy's country 
without a support sufficiently near, and fearing an attack 
by our men, who were beginning to organize in obedience 
to the Governor's call, they deemed it prudent to make a 
retrograde movement. Accordingly, they evacuated Cham- 
bersburg on the 17th of June; and as they had already 
gathered a large number of horses and cattle, which they 
had taken violently and without compensation from the 
farmers, it was vainly supposed by many of our people 
that they now intended to withdraw with their booty across 
the Potomac. They, however, retired only to the vicinity 
of Hagerstown, there to await the arrival of Lee's army. 

Previous to Saturday, the 20th of June, portions of Jen- 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. I I 

kins' party had advanced as far as Waynesboro', Pennsyl- 
vania, robbing the inhabitants of horses, and of whatsoever 
else they saw fit to take or to destroy. These, and other 
acts, some of which consisted in a most wanton destruction 
of articles of qo value whatsoever to them, they perpetrated 
in the face of their oft-repeated assurance, that private prop- 
erty would be respected, that private citizens should not be 
molested, and that they would show themselves not to be 
such barbarians as the Yankees had done whilst in their 
country. They must have supposed us to be exceedingly 
stupid, if they thought that our people could not penetrate 
the shallow hypocrisy of these honeyed words. After they 
had overrun and robbed the country west of the South 
Mountain, and thoroughly searched its numerous valleys 
for horses, which, they had been informed by disloyal citi- 
zens, had been secreted there, they came down the south- 
eastern flanks of the mountain in search of booty. 
Il 

! SATURDAY, JUNE 20. 

j 

On the morning of this day, Major Haller, of the United 
States Infantry, who, having been sent by General Couch, 
arrived at Gettysburg on the previous evening, addressed a 
(public meeting at the Court-House, advising all able-bodied 
male citizens to arm themselves and to be ready, at a mo- 
iment's warning, for the defence of their homes and of the 
State. On that day, a beginning was made in the forma- 
tion of a cavalry company, under Captain R. Bell, and there 



1 2 THE INVASION OF 

was some reconnoitering by scouts and a few of our citizens 
An effort to form an infantry company, and to arouse the 
people generally, did not prove successful. This failun 
was owing, at least on the part of the great majority, no 
so much to an unwillingness to engage in the efforts to re 
sist the progress of the enemy, as to a reluctance to deser 
their homes and their families in the hour of danger, whils; 
they went to defend the less exposed parts of the State 
for it was soon apparent that the military authorities a 
Harrisburg, losing sight of the particular, and looking t( 
the good of the whole, intended, in the beginning at least' 
to make the Susquehanna the base of defence against th|^ 
invaders, whilst, for the border towns and country, no im 
mediate adequate protection could be provided. For thij^ 
seeming neglect, there were not wanting some who soundl 
abused the Government. And then, too, some were unwil 
ing, from political motives, either to go themselves, or t 
suffer their friends to go into an organization which migh 
perhaps, cause their absence from home at the time of th 
Fall election. Some also, who were brave and patriotic i 
words, could not make up their minds to expose themselvc 
to the hardships of camp-life, and to the perils of the battk 
field. On the Wednesday preceding (June 17), howevej 
a company of infantry, consisting of 60 students of Pern 
sylvania College, together with several from the Theologic 
Seminary, and a few citizens, under Captain F. Klinefelte 



a theological student, left for Harrisburg, in obedience I1 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. I 3 

the urgent call oi the Governor, and were the first to be 
mustered into the service "for the emergency." In fact, 
previous to this date very Httle progress had been made in 
the needful preparations for the defences even of the Capi- 
tal. A beginning had indeed been made, as early as the 
15th of June, in the construction of breastworks, and the 
digging of rifle-pits along the river front, and on the oppo- 
site bank ; but the work went on slowly, and it is question- 
able whether, when the Rebels approached nearest the river, 
on Sunday, June 28th, Harrisburg might not have been 
easily taken. It was difficult to move the people — for, al- 
though many companies and regiments, amongst whom 
were several from New York and New Jersey, reported 
themselves at the seat of government, it was not until the 
enemy was at our very doors, and three days before the 
battle of Gettysburg was begun, that the people began to 
realize the magnitude of their danger, and Philadelphia, 
^which was a most tempting bait for the invaders, began to 
fpour forth her men and treasures in real earnest. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 21. 

Early on this morning, the Philadelphia City Troop, con- 
sisting of about 40 members, arrived at Gettysburg, afford- 
ing us evidence that the border was not entirely forgotten. 
These, together with Bell's cavalry and some citizens, made 
a reconnoisance in the South Mountain as far as Monterey. 
There they came up to the Rebel pickets, with whom they 



14 THE INVASION OF 

exchanged some shots. At 6 p. m., about 120 Rebel cav- 
alry entered Fairfield, and retired again by the Furnace roac 
at 7 p. M., taking with them all the good horses they couk 
find. 

MONDAY, JUNE 22. 

Ewell's corps crossed the Potomac to-day, one portior 
crossing at Shepherdstovvn, and another at Williamsport; 
The whole met and united at Hagerstovvn, whence the} 
again diverged in their progress up the valley toward; 
Chambersburg. 

The Pennsylvania and New York militia, as they reachec 
Harrisburg, had been, as soon as practicable, organized b) 
General Couch in two divisions, one under General Smith 
the other under General Dana. On Saturday, the 20th o 
June, previous to General Smith's being put in command 
General Knipe was sent up the valley from Harrisburg witlj 
two New York regiments, numbering about 8oo men ; firs 
to reconstruct the railroad bridge at Scotland, which th( 
Rebels had burned, and then to occupy and defend Cham 
bersburg. Having, however, been apprised of the approacl 
of Rhodes' division of Ewell's corps, and being unprepare( 
to meet the large force of the enemy which would soon b' 
precipitated upon him, he deemed it advisable, late in th' 
evening of this day, to evacuate the town, and gradually t( 
move down the valley again. 

TUESDAY, JUNE 2^. I 

During the forenoon of this day, General Rhodes' divi 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. I 5 

sion entered and occupied Chambersburg. During this and 
i tlie previous day, v^arious reconnoisances were also made 
from Gettysburg by Bell's cavalry and the City Troop, the 
former having now assumed an organized form. But al- 
though Major Haller, who was acting under instructions 
from General Couch, for the purpose of maturing the neces- 
sary preparations for the defence of this part of the border 
of the State, seemed to be active and industrious, very little 
of any value was actually accomplished in that respect. It 
would not be easy to assign the precise measure of blame, 
if any, due to any men or set of men, for this unfortunate 
state of things. The people, bewildered under circum- 
stances so new and peculiar, and having no prospect of a 
sufficient military support, did not know what to do ; and 
thus, while their minds were swaying to and fro between 
hope and fear, the golden opportunity for efficient prepara- 
tion passed away. 

[ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24. 

On the evening of this day, the 26th regiment, P. V. M., 
• numbering 735 men, of which company A was almost 
' wholly composed of students from Pennsylvania College, 
was sent to Gettysburg for the purpose of helping to hold 
the enemy in check ; but as the cars in which they were 
coming were thrown from the track, at a point six miles 
below Gettysburg, they encamped, and remained their until 
Friday morning. 

A. P. Hill's corps also crossed the Potomac to-day, at a 



I 6 THE INVASION OF 

point one mile above Shepherdstown, Anderson being in 
the advance. 

THURSDAY, JUNE 25. 

Late on Thursday evening, however, lOO picked men 
from the 26th regiment were ordered up from their em- 
campment to Gettysburg, with the design of sending them 
to the mountain as sharpshooters or bushwhackers, in order 
to cut off the Rebel pickets, who, according to information 
then received, extended down the southwestern flanks of the 
mountain, and were making gradual approaches towards 
our town. But the heavy rain of that night caused them to / 
be detained until the balance of the regiment arrived, and 
thus they were saved from almost certain capture or de- 
struction. 

The Rebels, under Rhodes, also to-day advanced as far j 
as Shippensburg, on their way to Harrisburg. 



FRIDAY, JUNE 26. 

The 26th regiment- arrived at Gettysburg, from their 
camping-ground, at 9 a. m., and, by order of Major Haller, 
although contrary to the earnest remonstrances of Jennings, 
Colonel of the regiment, was sent forward at 10.30 A. m., on 
the Chambersburg turnpike. This was a suicidal movement 
of a handful, chiefly of inexperienced men, in the face of a 
large body of experienced troops. The Rebels laughed at 
the folly of the order. But advancing to the distance of 
about three miles westward, our little band encamped, and 






MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. I7 

threw out their pickets. At about 3 p. m., the Rebels in 
force made their appearance, and captured nearly all their 
pickets, 40 in niunber. Colonel Jennings, who had, on sev- 
eral occasions, shown himself to be an officer as skillful as he 
is cool and brave, seeing the trap into which he had been led, 
immediately, upon sight of the enemy, divided the regiment 
into three squads, in order to deceive them with the appear- 
ance of a large body of infantry. The deception proved so 
successful that the Rebels did not press them, fearing that 
a direct attack might prove more serious than a mere skir- 
mish. Jennings' band, however, hastily retreated eastward 
over the fields, and by country roads, occasionally skirmish- 
ing with the enemy's cavalry, which was sent after them ; 
^nd after losing 120 more of their number near Hunters- 
'town, and zigzaging very frequently, being often within 
hearing distance of their pursuers, they reached Harrisburg 
on Sunday, the 2(Sth of June, much fatigued, having marched 
54 out of 60 continuous hours. Too much praise cannot be 
awarded Colonel Jennings for the skillful manner in which 
he conducted this retreat and saved the regiment from cap- 
ture. 

The advance guard of the enemy consisting of 180 to 200 
cavalry, rode into Gettysburg at 3.15 p. m., shouting and 
yelling like so many savages from the wilds of the Rocky 
Mountains ; firing their pistols, not caring whether they killed 
or maimed man, woman, or child ; and rushing from stable 
'^ stable in search of horses, the most of which, however, 



I 8 THE INVASION OF 

had fortunately a few hours before been sent forward to 
Hanover and York. 

This advance party was soon followed by 5,000 infantry, 
being General Gordon's brigade of Early's division of Ewell's 
corps. Most of the men were exceedingly dirty, some rag- 
ged, some without shoes, and some surmounted by the 
skeleton of what was once an entire hat, affording unmis- 
takable evidence that they stood in great need of having 
their scanty wardrobe replenished ; and hence the eagerness 
with which they inquired after shoe, hat and clothing stores, 
and their disappointment when they were informed that: 
goods of that description were not to be had in town ; and' 
it ought not to have surprised us that they actually toot: 
shoes and hats from the persons of some of our Franklir t 
county cousins, whom they considered more able to endurt • 
the loss than we, whilst they permitted us to escape that 
infliction. Being wet from the rain w hich had fallen during, - 
the most of the day, and considerably heated by a Ion 
march, there was found, by a person near them as the}- 
passed, to have been more truth than fiction in the remarl^ 
of a friend, that "the air was filled with the filthy exhala-' 
tions from their bodies." Whether this was a judgment' 
dictated by prejudice, or not, it u'as difficult for us to recog-i 
nize, in the great body of them, the character previously! 
heralded in our community, by a lady sympathizer, of "chiv-j 
alrous Southerners, all from the first families of the South."] 
But we do not intend to reproach them for not presenting al. 



c r 






MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. I 9 

better appearance; they doubtless did the best they could, 
and had come a long journey for the express purpose of 
supplying their pressing wants. 

General Early, who accompanied this brigade, and re- 
mained in town over Friday night, demanded of the author- 
ities of our borough 1,200 pounds of sugar, 600 pounds of 
coffee, 60 barrels of flour, i ,000 pounds of salt, 7,000 pounds 
of bacon, TO barrels of whiskey, lo barrels of onions, 1,000 
pairs of shoes, and 500 hats, amounting in value to ^6,000 ; 
or, in lieu thereof, ^5,000 cash. To this demand Messrs. 
D. Kendlehart and A. D. Buehler, as representatives of the 
town council, replied in substance, that it was impossible to 
comply with their demands ; that the goods were not in 
town or within reach ; that the borough had no funds, and 
the council had no authority to borrow either in the name of 
the borough or county ; and that, as we were at the mercy 
of the General and his men, they could search, and take 
from citizens and empty stores whatsoever they might be 
able to find. No attempt was made to enforce the requisi- 
tion, and but few of the houses of citizens were robbed 
Whether this forbearance was owing to the evident fact that 
he was outwitted by our citizens, or from his generosity to 
our apparent poverty, we will permit our York friends to 
judge, to whom he is reported to have replied, when, as a 
reason why he should not insist on the enforcement of the 
large demand he had made of them, they reminded him of 
his leniency towards us, "Why, gentlemen, there was noth- 



20 THE INVASION OF 

jng to take." Be it so: Gettysburg escaped; and York 
paid a premium of $28,000. During the evening of Friday, 
however, the Rebels burned the railroad bridge and a few 
cars, took from the few articles that our merchants had not 
sent away such as suited them, and divested the taverns and 
liquor stores of their liquors. Besides this, they did not do 
much damage in the town. In the country, how^ever, they 
treated the farmers less gently. They there re-enacted their, 
old farce of professing to pay for what they took, by oiTer-; 
ing freely their worthless "Confederate'" scrip; which, they, 
said, would, in a few days, be better than our own currency.. 
In the town they obtained but little booty, because all thcj 
valuables of the Bank, and nearly all those of the merchants,^ 
had been previously sent for safety to Philadelphia. This* 
proved a great disappointment to them ; and they acknowl- 
edged that, for this time they had been too slow in thein 
movements. They consequently hurried forward, that nights 
and the next morning, towards Hanover and York. A por-i 
tion of them passed through Hanover at 1 1 a. m., reaching! 
the Northern Central Railroad at Hanover Junction early in 
the afternoon, whilst another portion went to East Berlin, 
and on the next day, Sunday, reached York. 

Our citizens, with a few exceptions, kept at a respectful'.; 
distance from them during their stay amongst us, avoiding , 
as much as possible communicating any information which ' 
might prove advantageous to them ; so much so, that they.'^ 
said: "It is very strange that you people know so little." ft 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. 21 

SATURDAY, JUNE 2/. 

Whilst the Rebels were goini^ to Hanover and Hanover 
Junction, to destroy the bridges and rolling stock of the 
Northern Central Railroad, thr^e scouts of our advance 
cavalry, near Emmittsburg, came dashing into town, at 9.30 
A. M., to our great joy. We felt that we were once more 
within the Federal lines, and more than one person ex- 
claimed, '*Thank God for that." Two despatch-bearers, 
one of whom was a chaplain, sent by Cjeneral Ewell, then 
at Shippensburg, to General Early, were captured in our 
streets by these scouts. The purport of their despatches 
was, that General Early should not advance his division too 
rapidly, as that might be attended with some danger, in an 
enemy's country. In fact, some of Early s men were ov^er- 
heard, in the streets of Gettysburg, early on this morning, 
to say to each other, that they were afraid they had ven- 
tured too far into Pennsylvania, and had been led into a 
trap. 

On this day, A. P. Hill's corps reached Chambersburg, 
and thence went to Fayetteville. where they halted until 
Tuesday, the 30th of June. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 28. 

Two regiments of Federal cavalry, numbering about 
2,000, under the command of General Copeland, entered 
our village from the direction of Emmittsburg, at 12 m., 
amidst the rejoicings of the people, who distributed bread 
and pies amongst them, whilst some of the youth sano^ pa- 



22 THE INVASION OF 

triotic songs. They encamped east of the town until the 
next morning, v/hen they all left, and moved towards Lit- 
tlestown. They had been sent forward on areconnoisance. 
At Fairfield there was a slight skirmish between the Rebels 
and some of our cavalry. 

On this evening, the camp-fires of an advance party of 
A. P. Hill, then halting at Fayetteville, were to be seen on 
the eastern slope of the mountain, about a mile above Cash- 
town. 

General Early to-day also entered and occupied York, 
A portion of his command was sent forward to VVrights- 
ville, probably to take and hold the Columbia bridge. A 
skirmish took place between them and some of our troops 
under Colonel Frick. The Colonel, finding that he would 
not be able to drive them off, and hold the bridge, crossed 
over to Columbia, and permitted the bridge to be consigned 
to the flames ; thus cutting off their hope of crossing the 
river at this point, and ravaging the portion of the State 
east of the Susquehanna. Whilst they destroyed the 
bridges of the Northern Central Railroad, they forebore 
destroying the depot, and other railroad property located 
in the town of York, only because such an act might lead 
to a general conflagration of the town ; which they had 
pledged themselves to spare, in consideration of the bonus 
paid them by its citizens. A skirmish also took place at 
Oysters Point, three miles from Harrisburg, with no further 
result than that the Rebels retired. 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. 23 

MONDAY, JUNE 29. • 

General Longstreet's corps having crossed the Potomac, 
at VVilhamsport, and followed those of Ewell and Hill, 
reached Fayetteville on this day. We now began to see 
that the invading army was concentrating itself on the 
turnpike road leading through Gettysburg to Baltimore. 
At the same time, also, the Union army was gradually 
moving towards a point near our village. This, then, was 
the focus towards which all these hostile rays tended, and 
at which they at length became concentrated. 

The Rebel encampments, by the aid of a field-glass, were 
seen to have been considerably enlarged. Hill had throv/n 
a large portion of his corps, probably the w^hole of Heth's 
division, over the mountain. Until the day of the battle, 
these were employed in foraging and gathering provisions 
for the army amongst the farmers in the vicinity of Cash- 
town. They seized beef cattle, flour, and grain, took pos- 
session of the mills near at hand, for the purpose of grind- 
ing the stolen grain, and compelled the farmers' wives to 
bake the flour into bread. They were thus gathering stores, 
resting, and feeding themselves and their animals, and plac- 
ing themselves in readiness for an encounter with our forces. 

TUESDAY, JUNE 3O. 

At 9.30 A. M., a portion of Hill's corps advanced on the 
Chambersburg turnpike, as far as the crest of the Seminary 
hill, one-half of a mile northwest of Gettysburg, throwing 



24 THE INVASION OB'' 

about two dozen of infantry pickets as far down as Mn 
Sheads' house. Sev^eral officers on horseback were seen re- 
connoitering with their field- glasses, and engaged in con- 
versation with the people residing near the road on the hill, 
eliciting, no doubt, as much information as they could ob- 
tain. They brought with them twenty-seven w^agons, prob- 
ably with the intention of coming to town and robbing us 
of such merchandise and provisions as might have been 
gathered or brought to light since Early's raid. They were 
also accompanied with artillery, and thus came prepared for 
any resistance which they might encounter. This was also, 
perhaps, intended to be a reconnoisance in force, or a move- 
ment for the purpose of taking possession of (jettysburg. 
There must have been several thousand men in this advance, 
for their line of march extended at least a mile and a half 
in length. At 10.30 A m. they again withdrew towards 
Cashtown, undoubtedly aware of the near approach of Gen- 
eral Buford's Federal Cavalry, which arrived in about an 
hour afterwards. This is shown to be highly probable, by 
the fact that they attempted to form a decoy for him at 
Marsh Creek, where two regiments defiled under cover of a 
hill, one to the right of the road, the other to the left, whilst 
a third was sent a short distance forward to induce pursuit 
by our men. In this position they remained for about two 
hours, after which they withdrew farther towards their camp. 
At 11.30 A. M., six thousand Federal cavalry, under Gen- 
eral Buford, arrived, passing through Washington street to 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. 25 

the Chambersburg turnpike, and by it one mile and a half 
northwestward, as far as Hon. E. McPherson's farm, where 
the larger portion encamped, and placed their artillery in 
position. During the afternoon, the first corps of infantry, 
numbering about eight thousand men, under General Rey- 
nolds, came from Emmittsburg to the right bank of Marsh 
creek, six and a half miles southwest of Getty.sburg, and 
encamped there for the night, whilst the Eleventh and Third 
cotps remained at Emmittsburg. 

By order of General Lee, Hill's corps — -consisting of three 
divisions, in the following order: General Heth, iO,oco; 
Pender, 10,000; and Anderson, 15,000 — were moved to the 
vicinity of Marsh creek. On this day Longstreet's corps 
followed, in the order of: first, McLaws, 12,000; then 
Hood, i2,OGO, whilst Pickett, 7,000, delayed until Thurs- 
day, at Chambersburg, to protect the rear and the wagon 
trains. Two divisions also of Powell's corps, viz. : Rhodes' 
and Early's, the former numbering 10,000 men, and the lat- 
ter 9,000, according to Rebel accounts, had encamped for 
the night at Heidlersburg, nine miles from Gettysburg, 
whilst the Third, Johnston's, 12,000, had been delayed at 
Fayetteville. Thus there were encamped, that night, within 
a short distance of our town, 23,000 Union infantry, and 
6,000 cavalry — 29,000; and 76,000 Rebel infantry, and a 
large number of cavalry, ready to meet each other in deadly 
iconflict on the next day. 



26 THE INVASION OF 

WEDNESDAY, JULY I. 

At 9.30 A. M., skirmishing began between Buford's dis- 
mounted cavalry and the advancing Rebels; and at 10 a. m. 
the artillery was brought into play. In half an hour the 
First corps began to come up, General Reynolds dashing 
through the town, whilst his men moved over the fields 
from the Emmittsburg road, in front of McMillan's and Dr. 
Schmucker's, under cover of the Seminary hill. The 7dght 
moved to the east of the turnpike and railroad, and formed 
a line of battle behind a grove, and the left formed on the 
crest of the hill near the Seminary. Both wings then ad- 
vanced, and the cavalry gradually fell back to the rear. The 
extreme right rested on the Chambersburg turnpike, and 
that of the left on the Hagerstown road. For two hours 
these eight thousand men stood like a wall against a pow- 
erful enemy, glorying in his strength. In the Rebel ad- 
vance was Heth, with his ten thousand men — they pressed 
upon our right. Later came Pender with as many more, 
and pressed our left. But though the enemy attacked us 
with two men to our one, our left was able, during the fore- 
noon, and until 3 P. m., not only to hold its own, but to drive 
back the enemy in their fearful charges ; and in an effort of 
General Archer to flank and capture one of our brigades, 
the Iron brigade captured him and his whole brigade, now 
reduced to about 1,500 men. This took place in the rear 
of the Sem.inary, near VV-illoughby's run, at about the mid- 
dle of the day. The right, which was comparatively weak. 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. 2/ 

having been opposed by a much stronger force, although 
holding its position for a long while, was several times 
driven back through the grove and adjacent fields, down to 
the eastern base of the Seminary ridge. It lost heavily in 
killed and wounded. During these alternate advance and 
backward movements, it lost, at one time, 1,900 prisoners, 
which were afterwards retaken, and took of Davis' Missis- 
sippi brigade eight hundred prisoners, who were sent to our 
rear. 

It soon became apparent that our right was the main ob- 
ject of the enemy's attack. As early as 10 a. m., the divi- 
sions of Rhodes and Early had moved from Heidlersburg, 
by a rapid march, to within a short distance of our right, 
and formed in a suitable manner in a secluded valley, and 
under cover of a hill, for the purpose of supporting Heth, 
and making a flank movement on our men. Rhodes' divi- 
sion, which was in the advance, entered the fight about 
noon ; Early's did not participate until after 2 p. m. Our 
little Spartan band, being so hard pressed, was about giving 
away on our right, when a portion of the Eleventh corps, 
which had just then arrived, came to its support. At i p. m., 
two divisions of this corps, under Generals Schurz and Bar- 
low, hurried through the town, and took position on our 
extreme right, resting on the Mummasburg road, and by 
their support the tide of battle was stayed, until Early's 
division took part in the fight. The other division of the 
ICleventh corps, under General Steinwehr, by the prudent 



28 THE INVASION OF 

forethought and wise generalship of General Howard, was 
at once sent forward to occupy Cemetery hill, on the south 
of the town, and to provide for the contingency which hap- 
pened three hours afterwards, and which he must have fore- 
seen. Early in the morning the hills surrounding Gettys- 
burg had been carefully examined by the General and his 
signal officers. At 8.30 A m., one of these officers was on 
the College cupola making observations, when his attention 
was specially directed to that hill by one of the officers of 
the College, as being of the highest strategic importance, 
and commanding the whole country around for many miles. 
Doubtless he had satisfied himself of the pre-eminent ad- 
vantages it offered as a position of offence and defence, and 
therefore determined to take and hold it. To his happy 
forethought we may, in a great measure, under God, attrib- 
ute the favorable results of the battles of the two succeed- 
ing days. 

After Early's division had entered the fight, it soon be- 
came evident that our riglit would be turned, and that our 
men must retire, or all be killed or captured. It was evident 
that the Eirst corps and the two divisions of the Eleventh 
corps, numbering together not more than sixteen to eigh- 
teen thousand men, could not long stand before the forty 
thousand of Heth, Pender, Rhodes and Early, combined. 
Before, however, the ordinary observer would have thought 
of retreat, General Howard ordered the heavy artillery to 
be removed to the Cemetery hill, and a proper dispositioi 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. 29 

of Steinwehr's division to be made, with a view of support- 
ing our retiring men. As the pressure of the advancing col- 
umns of the enemy became greater, our men were forced to 
yield to them. The First corps, for the most part, fell back 
through the southwestern outskirts of the town, and took 
position on the left and rear of Steinwehr ; whilst the Elev- 
enth mostly crowded through Washington and Baltimore 
streets to the Cemetery hill, and took position in the front 
and on the right centre. Being very much crowded in pass- 
ing through the streets, and somewhat confused, they were 
unable to repel the enerny who were pressing hard upon 
them ; and, as a consequence about 2,500 were taken prisoners. 
Almost in the very beginning of the engagement, General 
Reynold's fell a victim to his cool bravery and zeal. As 
was his custom, he rode in front of his men, placing them 
in position and urging them to the fight, when he was shot 
through the head, as was supposed, by a Rebel sharp- 
shooter, and died shortly afterwards. He has been charged 
with rashness, with foolhardiness, and with prematurely 
bringing on the battle. But it would, prehaps, be more just 
to say that he had but little direct agency in bringing it on ; 
that it was unavoidable; that it was forced on us by the 
Rebels ; that if they had not been held in check that day, 
they would have pressed on and obtained the impregnable 
position which we were enabled to hold ; and that, most of 
all, the hand of Providence, who gave us at last a signal vic- 
tory, was in the arrangements of that day. After the fall 



;i 



30 THE INVASION OF 

of General Reynolds, the chief command devolved on Gen 
eral Howard, who had arrived in advance of his corps 

During the fight of the first day, which lasted from 9.3c 
A. M. to 4 p. M., our killed, wounded, and prisoners greatl 
exceeded in number that of the enemy. They called it 
glorious victory ; but considering the disparity of numbers. 'j 
and the relative condition of the men — theirs being fresh, y' 
and ours wearied by hard marching — they had not much) 
reason to boast. , 

At the close of the fight, Ewell's corps occupied the town,) 
and formed a Hne thence southeast to Rock creek ; Rhodes 
division lay on the right, occupying Middle street as fa 
west as the Seminary hill ; Early lay on the southeast o: 
the town ; and Johnson, who did not arrive until Thursday 
occupied the extreme left of the line. It was Gordon's anc 
Hay's brigades of Early's division, of which the formiCr paid 
us a visit on the Friday preceding, that pressed our mer 
through the eastern part of town. Hill's corps took posj 
tion on the Seminary ridge, in the following order : on tb 
left, and resting on the Chambersburg turnpike, was Heth 
next came Pender ; and then Anderson, who had halted to^. 
long at Cashtown to participate in the fight of to day 
McLaws' division of Longstreet's corps, which also cam 
late on Wednesday, was advanced still farther to the righ- 
On the next morning, when Hood's division of the sam. 
corps came, it took a position to the right of McLawP >' 
(See the accompanying map, from which it will appear th ' \ 

S\ 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. 3 I 

this was substantially the disposition of the Rebel forces on 
Thursday, July 2.) 

That portion of Rhodes' division which lay down before 
our dwelling for the night, was greatly elated with the re- 
sults of the first day's battle. And the same may be said 
of the whole Rebel army. They were anxious to engage 
in conversation — to communicate their views and feelings, 
and to elicit ours. They were boastful of themselves, of 
their cause, and of the skill of their ofticers ; and were anx- 
ious to tell us of the unskillful manner in which some of our 
officers had conducted the fight which had just closed. 
When informed that General Archer and 1,500 of his men 
had been captured, they said, "To-morrow we will take all 
these back again ; and having already taken five thousand(!) 
prisoners of you to-day, we will take the balance of your 
men to-morrow." Having h^^n ivell fed, provisioned, and 
rested, and successful on this day, their confidence knew no 
bounds ; they felt assured that they would be able, with 
perfect ease, to cut up our army in detail, — fatigued as it 
was by long marches and yet scattered, for only two corps 
had as yet arrived. Resting under this impression they lay 
down joyfully on the night of the first day. 

What the feeling of our little army, as yet consisting of 
only two corps, was on Wednesday evening, we are unable 
to state. To us it seemed as if the Rebels would really be 
able to accomplish their boast. We were disheartened, and 
almost in despair. But our men, who, whilst retreating 



32 TAE INVASION OF 

through the town, seemed to be confused and frightened, 
coolly and quietly fell into position on the hill, when they 
found themselves supported by two lines of battle formed 
by Stein wehr, and by a sufficiency of artillery already in 
place. They saw the pursuing Rebels suddenly brought 
to a stand by the raking fire poured into them by our men 
on the hill. 

Soon after the battle had begun, the residents of the west 
end of the town were advised by General Reynolds to leave 
their residences, that the shot and shell of the enemy might 
not reach and injure them, and to retire to a position to the 
north and east of the borough. Some, who in accordance 
with this advice left their houses, found to their sorrow when 
afterwards they returned, that they had been piUaged by the 
Rebels during their absence ; whilst most of those who re- 
mained at home during the battles of the three days, were en- 
abled to save their property from indiscriminate robbery and 
destruction. Whilst actual fighting was going on, many of 
the women and children went into the cellars as places of 
greatest security ; and nothing can be more remote from the 
truth than the gratuitous slander put forth by some reckless 
newspaper scribblers, and extensively published abroad, that 
the male inhabitants ran off like a set of cowards, and per- 
mitted the women and children to do as best they could. 
The truth requires us to state that only a few of the male 
inhabitants were absent from home, and t/iej/ were either 
Goverment officers, or such as had gone away with goods 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. 33 

or horses to places of security. No one, as far as we know, 
had forsaken his home and family through fear or cowardice. 

THURSDAY, JULY 2. 

Wednesday night and Thursday morning were devoted, 
by both armies, mostly to making active preparations and 
arrangements for a renewal of the terrible and bloody con- 
flict. Breastworks were constructed, rifle-pits dug, and 
artillery and the different corps placed in position. 

General Slocum arrived with the Twelfth corps at 7. p. m. 
General Howard still retained the chief command, until the 
arrival of General Meade, early in the morning (i o'clock 
A. M.) General Meade entirely approved the act of General 
Howard in the selection of his position. General Slocum 
immediately placed his corps on the right flank ; the second 
division, under General Geary, occupying Gulp's hill ; the 
first, under General Williams, taking position near Spang- 
ler's spring, and the third being thrown across Rock creek 
to Wolf hill. Soon after the arrival of the Twelfth , corps 
came the Third, under General Sickles ; and at 7 A. m. came 
Hancock, with the Second corps and the Reserve Artillery. 
Sickles at first took position on our left centre, but when 
Hancock came he took the place of Sickles, whilst the lat- 
ter moved his corps to our extreme left, resting on the 
rocky ridge immediately north of Round Top, and generally 
called Little Round Top. At between 4 and 5 p. m., two 
brigades of the Pennsylvania Reserves, under General Graw- 
ford, now attached to the Fifth corps, reached the battle- 



34 THE INVASION OF 

field, the balance of their corps, under General Sykes, hav- 
ing arrived in the morning ; and at about sunset came the 
Sixth corps, under General Sedgwick, and Lockwood's bri- 
gade, from Maryland, which was temporarily attached to 
the Twelfth corps. (For the positions of these several corps 
the reader will do well to consult the accompanying map.) 

Early on Thursday morning the Rebels began to give 
evidence of an impression on their part, that they might 
possibly have some hard work to do on that day, although, 
on the previous evening they had spoken so lightly of it. 
They had ascertained that our little band had been strongly 
reinforced during the night and early morning. They com- 
menced barricading Middle street, on its south side, from 
the Seminary ridge on the west to Stratton street on the 
east ; they also broke down the fences on the north side, in 
order to enable them to bring up reinforcements and send 
back their men, without subjecting them to a raking street 
fire from ours, the houses and stables serving as a protec- 
tion to them. On the previous evening they had expected 
to attack and cut up our army in detail. But as the great 
body of the army of the Potomac had already arrived, this 
hope had vanished, and they saw that the contest would be 
a hard and bloody one between the two armies in their 
united strength. 

The morning was pleasant, the air was calm, the sun 
shone mildly through a smoky atmosphere, and the whole 
outer world was quiet and peaceful, — there was nothing to 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. 35 

foretoken the sanguinary struggle that was to close the day. 
During the earlier part of the day the enemy kept perfectly 
quiet, and not a sound was to be heard, except the firing 
between the pickets, and an occasional artillery shot from 
our guns, for the purpose of feeling the whereabouts and 
the strength of the enemy 

Having perfected his plans in silence, at twenty minutes 
past 4 p. M. the enemy began the battle of the 2d, by open- 
ing a terrific artillery fire upon our guns, and soon after- 
wards by an infantry attack upon our left. It had been sus- 
pected, from some indications, that he was meditating a de- 
cisive stroke on this wing. It became the duty of Sickles 
to break the ominous silence, by throwing himself in the 
way of the Rebels, and, if possible, to frustrate their scheme. 
Soon the cannonading became general along our left and 
centre, answered by the guns of the Rebels, of which more 
than one hundred were placed in a circuit of more than 
three miles, on the Seminary ridge round to the Harrisburg 
road, and on the hills to the east of the town. Sickles' 
corps, supported by a portion of the Second, went forward 
with determination to meet the advancing enemy, and en- 
gaged them in a most terrific struggle at Sherfy's peach 
orchard and the adjoining grounds, near the Emmittsburg 
road. Both parties fought with a desperate determination 
to win, but at last Sickles' men began to give away. Ral- 
lied by him in person, they arrested and hurled back the 
advancing column for a short time ; but finding themselves 



30 THE INVASION OF 

Opposed by an overwhelming mass of the enemy, consisting 
of Anderson's and McLaws' divisions, numbering about 
twenty-six thousand men, and being hard pressed, they 
gave way a second time. This was a most critical moment 
for our army. The point aimed at by the enemy was to 
break our left and flank us ; and this they would be able to 
accomplish, if succor would not arrive speedily. The Fifth 
corps of Sykes, arri\'ing at this juncture, 5 p. m., was brought 
into action by a cross-road leading from the Taneytown to 
the Eminittsburg road at Sherfy's peach orchard, and pass- 
ing to the north of Little Round Top. But even with this 
support, and other aid that was sent over from our right 
during the terrific struggle, the enemy were near being suc- 
cessful. Four pieces of Bigelow's battery were taken, after 
having expended all his grape, but afterwards they were re- 
covered. The enemy had driven our men before them, and, 
endeavoring to come in between Round Top and Little 
Round Top, they were advancing toward the latter. At 6 
p. M. General Crawford's division of the Fifth corpb, consist- 
ing of two brigades of Pennsylvania Reserves, having until 
this time been held in reserve, went into a charge with a 
terrific shout, and drove the Rebels down the rocky front of 
that hill, across the valley below, and over the next hill into 
the woods beyond, taking three hundred prisoners. This 
was the favorable moment, and the whole Rebel column was 
forced to retire. Our left was saved from disaster; the fight, 
on that part of our lines, was gloriously ended for the day, 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. 37 

and Little Round Top was ours. It is true our line, which, 
in the morning had rested on or near the Emmittsburg road, 
had receded one-third of a mile, but the enemy had been 
signally repulsed ; he was foiled in his plans, and our men 
firmly held that natural fortress, Little Round Top. The 
front of this our men immediately began to cover with a 
network of breastworks, and on the summit they placed 
twelve 30-pound Parrott guns. When the next morning 
dawned, it was a second Gibraltar. The Pennsylvania Re- 
serves, of whom one company was from our town and county 
and fought in sight of their homes, did most effective ser- 
vice under General Crawford, and held this strong-hold for 
forty-five hours, until the close of the battle. I'he fighting 
here ended at 6.30 p. m. On this day, the Rebel General 
Barksdale fell on Hancock's extreme left. 

Scarcely had the tumult of battle ended on our left, when 
it was renewed on our rif^ht. Previous to that hour there 
had been some sharp fighting on this part of the line, 
but it had ceased. Ewell, who, it is said, had sworn that 
he would take and hold, at all hazards, the hill east of the 
Baltimore, turnpike, (jn which our right was resting, began 
to mass his men in that vicinity. Rhodes' division was 
hurried forward from the west end of the town to unite with 
Early's and Johnston's (then arrived from Carlisle), already 
near the scene of action, and at 7 p. m. Ewell was ready for 
the attack. Early attacked that portion of the Eleventh 
corps lying on the flank of the northeastern knob of Ceme- 



38 THE INVASION OF 

tery hill, and resting near a stone wall which extended south- 
ward from Houck's brick-yard, for the purpose of breaking 
our center and capturing our guns. One portion moved 
obliquely across the brow of a hill, behind which they were 
lying, and came up in front of the wall, whilst another moved 
up a low valley stretching from Rock creek along the north- 
ern flank of Gulp's hill. To the Louisiana Tigers was com- 
mitted the perilous task of making the charge upon the 
guns. They dashed forward with furious determination, 
and although they lost half their men in killed and wounded, 
some rushed over the wall up to the cannon, which were 
then too hot co be worked, and cried "surrender," but Vvcre 
beated off by the gunners v/ith clubs and stones. If they 
had been victorious in this charge, the battle would have 
been lost to us. But the enemy was successfully met, slaugh- 
tered in great numbers, and driven back wath terrible loss. 

Ewell had directed a similar attack to be made, at the 
same time, against the Twelfth corps, in the rear of Gulp's 
hill, through a Valley leading up from Rock Greek towards 
Spangler's spring. It is possible that he may have known 
v\ hat force we had there to oppose him — he may have an- 
ticipated that, during the quiet of that vicinity, Meade had 
sent a portion of our men to support those who were pressed 
so fearfully on our left, and he consequently may have felt 
certain of an easy victory. Two divisions of the Twelfth 
corps formed our right flank west of Rock creek ; the first^ 
under General Williams, was located near the creeks and the 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. 39 

second, under General Geary, occupied Gulp's hill. Only 
one brigade, the third, under General Greene, remained of 
Geary's division, the other two, the first and second, not 
having yet returned from the conflict on our left. The en- 
emy came up under cover of the forest and approaching 
darkness, as if to the accomplishment of an easy task. With 
desperate courage Greene's brigade received them, literally 
covering the hills, in front of our works, with the wounded 
and dead. The scarred timber in the vicinity well attests 
the obstinacy and effectiveness with which our men fought. 
The enemy's loss was fearful — compared with ours, it was 
eight to one. In one of our regiments there was only one 
man wounded. Never did men fight with greater determi- 
nation to be the victors. From 7 to 9.30 p. m. the roar of 
musketry was continuous, and so terrible as to make the 
very earth quake. 

But whilst General Greene succeeded, on his part of the 
line, in staying and hurling back the advancing columns of 
the enemy, that part near Spangler's spring was left without 
adequate defence by the temporary withdrawal of the first 
and second brigades. There the Rebels were successful in 
crossing our works, and advancing to a point within a short 
distance of the Baltimore turnpike. This might have proved 
disastrous to us had it not occurred at so late an hour, and 
had they not been apprehensive of falling into a trap if they 
should advance further. With this exception, Thursday 
ended with decided advantages to the Union army. The 



4o THE INVASION OF 

enemy was finally repulsed on the left, and he met with 
heavy losses on both flanks, but especially in the last 
charges he made on our right. 

To us, however, who were at the time within the Rebel 
lines, the result seemed doubtful ; and gloomy forebodings 
filled our minds as we laid ourselves down to catch, if possi- 
ble, a little sleep. The uaearthly yells of the exultant and 
defiant enemy had, during the afternoon, been frequently 
heard, even amidst the almost deafening sounds of explod- 
ing cannon, of screaming and bursting shells, and of the 
continuous roar of musketry ; and it seemed to us, judging 
from the character and direction of these mingled noises, 
that the enemy had been gaining essentially on our flanks. 
At about 6 p. M., it is true, we heard ''cheering" different 
from that which had so often fallen dolefully upon our ears ; 
and some of the Rebels said to each other, "Listen ! the 
Yankees are cheering." But whilst this — which we after- 
wards found to have been the cheering of General Crawford's 
men, as they charged and drove the Rebels down the face 
of Little Round Top — afforded us a temporary encourage- 
ment, the movement of Rhodes' division, which we saw 
hurried forward on a "double-quick ' for the purpose of 
uniting in a combined attack upon our right center and 
flank, the incessant and prolonged musketr>' fire, and the 
gradual cessation of the reports of our artillery on Cemetery 
hill, caused us to fear that our men had been badly beaten, 
and that our guns had either been captured or driven back 



MARYLAND AND PENNSVLVANIA. 4 1 

from the advantageous position they had occupied. The 
battle ceased, and the outer world sank into ''its usual re- 
pose;" but we lay down, not to sleep, but to indulge in sad 
and gloomy reflections. Intensely anxious to know, we had 
no means of finding out the relative condition of the two 
armies ; and, "like drowning men," we were ready "to catch 
at straws." 

The Rebels returned again to our streets at lo p. m., and 
prepared their supper ; and soon we began to hope that all 
was not lost. Some of them expressed their most earnest 
indignation at the foreigners — the Dutchmen — for having 
shot down so many of their men. This led us to believe 
that the Eleventh corps, — of whom many were foreign Ger- 
mans, and whom, on the previous evening, they tauntingly 
told us they had met at Chancellorsville — had done their 
duty, and had nobly redeemed their character. We after- 
wards found the explanation of this indignation when we 
learned what had taken place that evening, on the eastern 
flank of Cemetery hill. Then again, soon after this, some 
were heard to say : "The Yankees have d. good position, and 
we must drive them out of it to-morrow." This assured us 
that our men had been able to hold their position, and that 
our lines were unbroken. There seemed now to be an en- 
tire absence of that elation and boastfulness which they 
manifested when they entered the town on the evening of 
the 1st of July. Still later at night, one said to another, in 
tones of great earnestness, "I am very much discouraged," 



42 THE INVASION OF 

from which we learned that the results of the day were not 
in accordance with their high expectations, although they 
said, during the evening, they had been driving us on our 
right and our left. 

Some time after supper, about midnight, nearly all of 
those who had returned to town, instead of lying down to 
sleep, moved eastward again to our right. Soon after- 
wards, some of those who remained as a guard, and for the 
purpose^ of plundering the houses and cellars of citizens, 
said to us, "To morrow, Longstreet, who has just arrived 
this evening, and has not yet been in the fight, will give the 
Yankees samething to do." Of course this was mere boast- 
ing, for two of Longstreet's divisions had been in position 
during the day, and McLaws' was active in the fight. Only 
Pickett's division had arrived during the evening. 

There was some readjusting of their lines during the night. 
Pickett Vvas placed to the left of Anderson and to the right 
of Heth, and directly opposite our left center; and Rhodes 
moved his division, at 2 a. m., to join the rest of Powell's 
corps on our right ; so as to be ready, by the dawn of day, 
to improve the temporary advantage he had gained the eve- 
ning before, and obtain possession of Gulp's hill and then 
the Baltimore road. Thus massed, Ewell designed, like his 
predecessor, Stonewall Jackson, to throw his whole force 
upon and break our right. This was the work which it 
seems was assigned to hiii} to do on Friday, the 3d of July; 
whilst it was made the duty of Longstreet to perform a 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. 43 

similar work on our left center. Such was the Rebel pro- 
gramme for the morrow. 

FRIDAY JULY 3. 

On the previous evening, just as the fighting at Gulp's 
hill had ceased, a portion of the Twelfth corps, which had 
been sent to the left to support Sickles, returned again to 
the right. During the night Shaler's brigade, of the third 
division of the Sixth corps, was transfered to the same vi- 
cinity, and to these vvas also added Lockwood's Maryland 
brigade. Such was the preparation on our part to resist the 
Rebel shock. 

At the dawn of day our artillery opened upon the Rebels 
at the point where they had, on the previous evening, pen- 
etrated our lines. At sunrise this was followed by a general 
infantry attack. The battle waged furiously, and was main- 
tained with desperate obstancy on both sides. At eight 
o'clock there was a cessation for a short time ; after which 
it was renewed with increased earnestness. From 4 30 to 
10.30 A. M., with terrible slaughter, our men pushed the 
ene[ny backward, until they drove them over our breast- 
works entirely broken to pieces. In this work of death, a 
battery of artillery placed on a hill to the right of the Balti- 
more turnpike, and some distance south of the Cemetery, 
was found to have performed a prominent part. Shot and 
shell v^ere thrown thence over the Twelfth corps, into the 
retiring enemy. The cannonading lasted for about an hour 
and a half. At lo a. m., the fi'ghting had nearly ceased on 



44 THE INVASION OF 

our right, after which it was not renewed on that part of 
the Hne. From 1 1 a. m. to i p. m. there was a perfect lull, 
each party apparently waiting to see what the other was 
about to do, and at what point the attack was to be made. 

At seven minutes past I p. m., the awful and portentous 
silence was broken. Probably not less than 1 50 guns on 
each side belched forth the missiles of death, producing 
such a continuous succession of crashing sounds as to make 
us feel as if the very heavens had been rent asunder — such 
as were never equalled by the most terrific thunder-storm 
ever witnessed by mortal man. The air was filled with lines 
of whizzing, screaming, bursting shells and solid shot. The 
enemy had placed his guns on the hills near the Bonaugh- 
town road, near the York road, near the Harrisburg road, 
and on the Seminary ridge along its whole line to a point 
beyond Round Top, so as to subject our artillery on Ceme- 
tery hill to a circle of cross fires, and to enable him to dis- 
mount and destroy them. \^y this means he hoped to break 
our front centre ; but in this he was not successful. 

During the day General Lee had reconnoitred our posi- 
tion from the College cupola — although, being a hospital, 
that edifice, by all principles of military honor, should have 
been free from every hostile use — and had come to the con- 
clusion that our left centre was the weakest part of our lines. 
Anderson and McLaws had failed to turn our left flank on 
the previous evening ; Ewell had most signally failed in the 
morning to take Culp's hill and turn our right ; and now / 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. 45 

some other point must be assailed —that point was the po- 
sition held by Hancock. 

When 2.30 p. M. came, it witnessed a determined effort 
on the part of the enemy to accomplish this result, so im- 
portant and desirable to him. At this time, Pickett's divis- 
ion of Longstreet's corps, consisting of the brigades of 
Garnet, Kemper and Armistead, was seen to emerge from 
the wooded crest of the Seminary ridge, just to the south 
of McMillan's orchard, and to move in two long, dark, mas- 
sive lines, over the plain towards our left center. This di- 
vision was supported on our left by Pettigrew's brigade of 
Heth's division, and on the right by Wright's and Wilcox's 
brigades of Anderson's division. W^hen this mass of men 
had moved over about one-third of the space between the 
two opposing lines, our batteries, placed in a grove near 
Bryan's house, opened upon them, and threw shells and 
grape into the advancing column ; now for a few moments 
they seemed to hesitate ; then, with a terrific yell they 
rushed forward. In a few moments a tremendous roar, pro- 
ceeding from the simultaneous discharge from thousands of 
muskets and rifles, shook the earth ; then, in the portion of 
the line nearest us, a few, then more, and then still more 
Rebels, in all to the number of about two hundred, were 
seen moving backwards towards the point from which they 
had so defiantly proceeded ; and at last two or three men 
carrying a single battle flag, which they had save from cap- 
ture, and several officers on horse-back, followed the fugi- 



46 THE INVASION OF 

tiv^cs. The wounded and dead were seen strewn amongst 
the grass and grain ; men with stretchers stealthily picking 
up and carrying the former to the rear; and officers for a 
moment contemplating the scene with evident amazement, 
and riding rapidly towards the Seminary ridge. Our men 
having quietly waited until the Rebels came to the Emmits- 
burg road, poured a deadly fire into them, and cut them 
down like grass before the mower's scythe. The rank and 
file had been made to believe that they were making this 
charge upon the Pennsylvania militia ; but their delusion 
was now broken, and in surprise they exclaimed, **The 
Army of the Potomac!" But still they pressed onward. 
General Gibbon had ordered his men to fall back, to enable 
the artillery to use grape. The enemy came up to the can- 
non's mouth, and were blown away or cut down by hun- 
dreds. Seeing them waver, General Webb cried out, "Boys, 
the enemy is ours!" and his brigade rushed upon them and 
captured eight hundred prisoners ; Stannard's brigade took 
as many more ; an still others were captured, swelling the 
number of prisoners to 3,500. Plfteen stands of colors were 
taken. So sudden and complete was the slaughter and cap- 
ture of nearly all of Pickett's men, that one of his officers 
who fell wounded amongst the first on the Emmittsburg 
road, and who characterized the charge as foolish and mad, 
said that when, in a few moments afterwards, he was en- 
abled to rise and look about him, the whole division had 
disappeared as if blown away by the wind. In this charge^ 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. 47 

two of our Generals, Hancock and Gibbon, were wounded. 
Of the Rebels, Kemper was seriously wounded, Armistead 
mortally, and Garnett was killed. 

But whilst these things were in progress, we must not 
suppose that the enemy was inactive on his extreme right. 
He showed considerable signs of vigor opposite Little 
Round Top. Hood's division was trying all the afternoon 
what success they might meet with in driving our men from 
that stronghold and turning our flank. To complete our 
victory on our whole line, the Pennsylvania Reserves were 
called upon to make a charge upon a battery which the en- 
emy had been using to annoy them, placed on the hill just 
in front, and from which they had been driven the evening 
before. Our men took the battery, 300 prisoners, and 5,000 
stand of arms, and drove the enemy half a mile beyond the 
line they had occupied during the day. This took place 
about 5 p. M., and with it ended the battle of Gettysburg. 

At that time the enemy began to exhibit signs of uneasi- 
ness and fear. They gathered up the wounded and sent 
them to the rear as fast as possible. They now feared that 
our men would make a dash upon them, a thing for which 
they evidently had no very great relish. They said to us, 
"The Yankees intend, this evening, to charge upon us in 
the streets ;" and when asked upon what authority they 
spoke, they only answered that they knew that such was to 
be the case, being evidently influenced by their fears. Ap- 
prehensive of such a result, they took a hasty supper, and, 



45 THE INVASION OF 

about midnight, formed in two ranks, and were underarms, 
as if awaiting a charge. 

The third day closed, leaving them in a condition far dif- 
ferent from that in which they entered the town on the eve- 
ning of the first. They came in exultant, and flushed with 
victory. They were in good fighting condition ; had an 
easy day's work ; had.killed, wounded, and captured many 
of our men, and had lost a far smaller number of their men ; 
and there were as yet only two of our corps to oppose them. 
The first was the day of their triumph ; the second ended 
without securing them any decided advantage — it was rather 
ominous of disaster, yet they were hopeful ; but the tliivd 
closed, leaving them repulsed at every point, not only show- 
ing the futility of any further attempt to carry any portion 
of our lines, or of doing us any serious damage, but the 
probability of a disastrous result, should our men, as they 
feared, act on the offensive. 

Lee could therefore do no better than hastily remove 
Ew^ell's division from its exposed position in the town and 
the hills southeast of it, under cover of which he lay, and 
place them behind his defences on the Seminary ridge. 
Accordingly, by 3 a. m. of the 4th, all the Rebels had been 
withdrawn from the town and placed in the rear of that 
ridge, where, during the day they occupied some time in 
strengthening their breastworks and preparing for an assault. 
This was, however, no doubt done as a precautionary meas- 
ure, to enable their rear, if necessary, to make an obstinate 



MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. 49 

resistance, while the main body of the army was retreating. 
In fact, there is sufficient evidence that Lee's retreat began 
soon after the night of the 3d had set in, and that he was 
hurrying his wounded, his stores, his ammunition and wagon 
train forward all night and all Saturday (the 4th) by the two 
roads leading to the Cumberland Valley ; the one by the 
Chambersburg turnpike, as far as to Greenwood, and thence 
towards Waynesboro'; and the other, directly towards the 
latter point and Hagerstov\n. After the experience of Fri- 
day, the 3d, the retreat from Gettysburg and from the pres 
ence of General Meade's army became to General Lee a 
military necessity ; and as Sunday dawned upon us, only a 
few Rebel pickets remained in this region of country, unless 
we except the multitudes of stragglers from his army, and a 
larger number of his wounded, which were literally emptied 
out of his wagons into farm-houses and barns in his hasty 
retreat. 

This battle of three days will compare, in magnitude and 
far-reaching consequences, with any of the great battles of 
modern times. In the battle of Waterloo, the Allies had 
72,000, the French 8o,coo men ; in this the Rebels had 
90,000, the Federals about 6o,coo men. The British had 
186 cannon, the French 252; the Rebels had upwards of 
200, and we had an equal number. The Allies lost 20,000 
in killed and wounded ; the F>ench 40,000 in killed, wounded, 
prisoners and deserters ; the Federals lost 2,834 killed, 14,- 
709 wounded, and 6,643 prisoners, or in all, about 24,000 ; 



50 THE INVASION OF 

whilst the Rebels lost 5,500 killed, 21,000 wounded, 9,000 
prisoners, and 4,000 stragglers and deserters, or a total of 
about 40,000. The proportion of men and of losses, in 
both battles, is nearly the same. The battle of Waterloo, 
resulted in effectually crushing the power of Napoleon and 
the grinding despotism that he was exercising over Europe. 
It broke to pieces that army in whose track followed deso- 
lation and famine, and whose final triumph must have re- 
suited in the destruction of all the then existing govern- 
ments of the civilized world. The battle of Gettysburg 
resulted, first, in checking the progress and then in destroy- 
ing the power of a well-disciplined and defiant army, which 
had come to the North for the express purpose of robbery 
and of spreading terror and desolation in its track, and, by 
the capture of Baltimore and Washington, of dictating to 
us the most humiliating terms of peace. The sway of Na- 
poleon over subject Europe would not have been more ty- 
rannical and destructive of the vital interests of the people, 
than would have been the establishment, by a decisive vic- 
tory of Lee, of an overbearing slave-power as a controlling 
influence in our country. The fall of Vicksburg and of Port 
Hudson, which followed immediately after the battle of Get- 
tysburg, though of the highest importance to the country, 
is, nevertheless, not equal in its influence to the breaking of 
the power of an army which was striking a blow at the heart 
of the nation. In the defeat, therefore, of Lee the corner- 
stone of that fabric, which the rebellion sought to erect on 
human bondage and the distinction of the races of men, 
which God has made of one blood, is crushed to pieces, and 
the bright days of a happy future loom up before our vision, 
when we shall once more be a united and prosperous people. 

THE END. 






The Picturesque Short Line 

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THE 

BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG, 

FROM THE 

HISTORY OF THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA, 

BY 

THE COMTE DE PARIS. 



320 PAGES 8V0. NAVY BLUE CLOTH. 



All military students, and intelligent readers of American 
history will procure the graphic, accurate and detailed History 
of the Battle of Gettysburg by the Comte De Paris. It includes 
within its scope all the movements of the Army of the Potomac 
and the Army of Northern Virginia, directly prior and subse- 
quent to the great engagement, describes at length the cavalry 
episode by which the events of Gettysburg were largely deter- 
mined, and contains a full roster of both Armies by Corps, Divi- 
sions, Brigades and Regiments. 

Sent Post-paid on receipt of $1.50. 



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